From the Principal

Hello everyone,

As Term 1 draws to a close, I would like to thankyou for your participation and support. It has been a fantastic term with many opportunities for our students to engage with.

This week students in Year 9 participated in the Morrisby profiling. Results will be presented to each student via an interview with an external assessor during Term 2. Possible future careers will be discussed based on the results of the profiling.

The Year 10 Marine Science students experienced snorkelling in Port Phillip Bay.

Grade 5 students from Mornington Park, Benton’s Junior College and Mornington Primary Schools joined us in the stadium for tabloid sports. Our very own Year 10 students with our Year 7 leaders facilitated the activities. A great time was had by all.

Real Schools, Kirsty Lush, joined classes on Tuesday, attended a staff meeting and then hosted a parent meeting where we learnt about Affective statements and circle time.

Parent/Teacher interviews were well attended online with individual student learning goals as the focus of many meetings.

At the beginning of Term 2 students in Year 7, 8 and 9 will be allowed to wear full PE uniform to school for the entire day when they have practical classes for PE and sport.

Families are reminded that correct MSC PE is as follows.

Suitable Runners – Canvas shoes not acceptable
Mornington SC PE Shorts or Pants
Mornington SC PE Polo Shirt
Mornington SC Jacket or Polar Fleece (Optional)

A reminder of our annual ANZAC day ceremony, first day back of Term 2. You are welcome to join us at the college 11.45am. Please contact Ashlie Porteous in the General Office to RSVP.

I wish you a great Easter and school holiday.

Linda Stanton

Principal

Important Dates

April

06/04/23 | Last day of Term 1- Finish 2.30pm

24/04/23 | First day of Term 2 - ANZAC Day Commemoration Service

25/04/23 | ANZAC Day Public Holiday

Middle School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Currently our Year 9 students are completing Morrisby online career profiling for their career action plans. It is a powerful career guidance tool, which identifies the student’s strengths and motivators.

And shortly, we will be providing a BBQ for the year 9 students to thank them for their effort this term.

Year 7 and 8 cohorts are having year level assemblies to celebrate student work and effort throughout the term.

Today we had a whole school assembly and this year we have the Easter raffle prize for each year level.

We return on Monday 24 April to commence Term 2.

Parents and guardians, we would love to invite you and your child to participate in the ANZAC Day march down Main Street, Mornington on Tuesday 25 April.

Mornington Secondary College Drum Corps and flag bearers lead us as we march down Main Street to the main service held at Memorial Park, Barkly street, Mornington.

If you would like to attend, students are required to be in full school uniform and we meet at 9.00am outside Mornington Police Station. We would love to see you there.

Our Year 7 students have been participating in creating a poppy trail with Bunnings Mornington. This has been a great community project for our students as we commemorate ANZAC Day.

In the meantime, wishing you all a wonderful Easter break and I look forward to seeing you at the beginning of next term.

Denise Leggett

Middle School Assistant Principal

Senior School

To students and families of the Mornington Secondary Senior School,

I would just like to thank you all for your efforts in Term 1. It has been a longer term than usual and it is time for a well-earned break for our students and teachers. I encourage all of our students to take some time to unwind, spend time with family and friends, forgetting all about schoolwork for at least a few days. In the same breath, I would like to highlight the opportunity for Year 11 and 12 students to catch up on any schoolwork (and sleep) while successful students will pre-read a little (maybe the next topic or chapter) to be prepared for the start of Term 2. It’s also an opportunity to make sure uniform is ready for the upcoming colder months and to purchase any items that may require, if they have grown out of them.

If you are a parent of a Year 10 student, you may like to start having conversations about future pathways as Year 10s will start to explore their 2024 and 2025 education direction during Term 2. There will be multiple exposures to information about VCE ATAR, VCE Vocational Major (VM) during Term 2, so having an idea about strengths, interests and passions will be most useful. I've loved my first term as Assistant Principal of Senior School and can't wait to get back and work with our young people in Term 2.

Below are an end of term reflection from our hardworking year level leaders.

Year 10

The Year 10 Team would like to thank our fantastic students for making the most of their opportunities this term. Students have entered the Senior School and as such this term has been very much a setting of new expectations. We look forward to supporting our students throughout Term 2 and the year to come.

Year 11

The Year 11 Coordination Team would like to thank all our wonderful students for such a great start to the year. Students have begun their VCE journey, and this first term has been about settling into a new pattern. The Coordination Team look forward to supporting you to achieve your best in Term 2.

Year 12

A huge congratulations to all of the class of 2023 for their tremendous start to the year. Term 1 was a long one and very busy, but the students have now completed a third of the coursework for their final year. Enjoy your well-deserved rest but take a small amount of time to reflect and plan for Term 2. What worked well? What can be improved?

Study timetables are a great way to help plan out a balanced approach to Year 12. The Year 12 sub-school team is very proud of our wonderful Year 12 students, and we look forward to working more with them and their families in Term 2.

Have a great break.

Nick Evans

Senior School Assistant Principal

Nick Evans

Senior School Assistant Principal

Year 7 Poppy Trails

Thanks to Joanne Reeman, our wonderful Year 7 Team Leader, each Year 7 class had one or more opportunities to walk over to Bunnings and work with Activities Organiser, Jenny Mann to create our new poppy trails.

Our poppy trails will take pride of place during our ANZAC Day College Service on Monday, 24th April.

Our students understand the historical significance of ANZAC Day and were proud to be engaged in making poppies, such a poignant symbol of remembrance and hope.

I was lucky enough to accompany my wonderful 7B students over as the final group, filling in any of the last gaps in our poppy trails.

What a wonderful experience for our students… and me! 😊

Sarah Walker

Year 10 Environmental and Marine Science

On Wednesday the 5th of April the Year 10 Environmental and Marine Science students got to swim with the dolphins in Port Phillip Bay.

The students came face to face with the endemic Burrunan dolphins, with one student observing that ‘they look so fake, but they’re real’ (perhaps CGI should be less ‘real’). The Polperro Dolphin Swims crew also took us snorkelling with seals, floating over giant stingrays and diving down to the beautifully camouflaged, weedy sea dragons.

The Port Phillip Bay’s dolphin’s are unique and protecting them is therefore of utmost importance. This excursion allowed the students to develop a true appreciation for our amazing marine life and will form the basis of their investigation into threatened endemic species.

Year 11 & 12 Vocational Major - Escape Room

On the 3rd of April we had 140 Vocational Major students spend the day in the Herbie Gym creating mini escape rooms. This activity was designed to demonstrate teamwork, decision making, problem solving, emotional intelligence and social skills.

The escape rooms all had different themes, different puzzles, and activities that the students designed and created. Other students then had to solve the escape rooms in twenty minutes. Some of the themes included find the golden ticket at the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory, escape classroom detention and find the antidote for the spider bite. The escape rooms had to go for 20 minutes. One group proudly said that it took the students doing their escape room 17 minutes and 30 seconds!

We also had Carolyn Parker, owner of ‘Locked In’ at Mornington, come and judge our escape rooms. She was really impressed with the hard work that the students put into their escape room and struggled to judge the winner. Consequently, several groups were highly commended and were awarded free vouchers to visit ‘Locked In’ over the holidays. The winners were Ash Henry, Madalyne Mundy, Bec Smith and Jayde Firth. The winning theme was ‘Escape the Evil Principal’ – they used the movie ‘Matilda’ as a sub-theme and had Miss Trunchball as our evil Principal. Their escape room was made up of four themed puzzles that related to school subjects including science, geography, literacy, and numeracy. The science puzzle was the favourite where participants had to use wires to get a key out of a tube, but the wires weren’t long enough, so they had to connect them. However, one secret wire was the right length and had a magnet attached to it, once the students found this one it assisted them in getting the key which opened the box to the next puzzle.

Students had lunch and after feedback from Mrs Parker, students were excited to win one of many raffle prizes.

Thanks to Carolyn Parker, all the staff and students involved – it was a great day enjoyed by all!

The winners: Ash Henry, Madalyne Mundy, Bec Smith and Jayde Firth with Carolyn Parker.

Student Excellence and Enrichment Program

Students in the Mornington Secondary College Student Excellence and Enrichment Program participated in a fantastic excursion that included a MCG Tour, visit to the Sports Museum and got to meet an Olympian.

Art

Year 8 students have completed a mosaic task where they researched Roman mosaics and Tibetan mandalas. They then replicated this onto paper plates. The results are amazing and we currently have them displayed in our front office.

Deadly Science - Formula 1 Excursion

In collaboration with Deadly Science, AGPC have crafted a unique experience that highlights the innovation in Formula 1 whilst simultaneously enriching students understanding of what goes on behind the scenes at one of the world’s major sporting events.

Eight of our Indigenous students went last Friday, and brushed passed Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo in Pitt Lane as they were given VIP passes.

The students also had the amazing experience of seeing the national media room and where the drivers have their media conferences after the race.

Headspace and Doctor Steph

Headspace GP’s and Doctor Steph are available for appointments during the holiday period. Headspace is open Monday to Friday see contact details below:

Headspace Frankston

62 Playne Street, Frankston, Victoria 3199

Phone (03) 9769 6419

email: headspace@headspacefrankston.org.au

Headspace website link: https://headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/frankston/

Alternatively you can link into eheadspace which provides free online and telephone support and counselling to young people 12 - 25 and their families and friends. See link: https://headspace.org.au/online-and-phone-support/

Reminder

If you have a concession card you may be able to apply for Camps, Sport, Excursion Fund (CSEF).

The following Vic.gov link gives parents/carers the information regarding concession card eligibility, how to apply, valid dates etc. The CSEF form is also in News Feed on Compass

The portal is still open for applications. Please return your form to the office.

https://www.vic.gov.au/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund

Mornington Peninsula Shire events coming up

Also an update on the headspace Open Day at Rosebud:

When: Thursday, 20th April 2023, 11am to 3pm.

From 11am to 12pm, we’d love to connect with stakeholders and chat a bit more about the centre and what we offer, as well as explore opportunities to best support you and the young people you engage with.
From 12pm onwards, the day will consist of various activities, games, events, and food so we encourage as many young people to attend this part of the day as possible!

Where: headspace Rosebud, 825 Point Nepean Road, Rosebud, 3940

Wednesday 19th April

White Card (WorkSafe Approved) $150

CPCWHS1001 - Prepare to work safely in the

construction industry

Thursday 20th April

First Aid including CPR $150

HLTAID011 - Provide First Aid

HLTAID009 - Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation